Best Slideshow Programs with Music - Windows, Mac, Online
Author: Hugh Amber, has been a slideshow enthusiast for 5 years
5
Votes: 1(Rated: )
Want to make an awesome photo movie with music? Looking for a program that suits you most? It can take hours to find the right software that is compatible with your device, has a rich toolkit and reasonable price.
We did all the hard work for you and created a list of 15 best slideshow programs with music. Simply look through the ups and downs of each program and choose the one that meets your expectations.
Start with watching a quick overview of top photo slideshow makers:
Eager to discover more alternatives for making a slideshow? Continue reading to find detailed reviews.
15 Best Programs to Make a Slideshow with Music
The list includes programs for creating stunning slideshows on your computer (Windows, Mac OS), smartphone or right in a browser. You will learn about various tools that allow you to create your own effects, animations, add music, record voice comments, etc. We’ve also found helpful information on prices, license type and software complexity.
For your convenience, we’ve sorted all the programs based on their overall score. So make yourself a cup of tea (or coffee) and enjoy reading. Let's start with the table which shows all the important features and figures:
Final verdict: .................................10
SmartSHOW 3D is the best picture slideshow software in our list thanks to hundreds of 3D effects, animations and transitions, as well as powerful music editing features. You can create smooth fadings, fine-tune the waveform directly on the Timeline and sync music to your footage. If you are new to slideshow making, use a smart wizard to nail the task in 5 minutes. The built-in travel & romantic templates offer suitable music, so you don’t have to look for any melodies beforehand. Apart from the soundtrack, you can add 35+ slide sounds to accompany your storytelling.
Final verdict: .....................................9.7
Are you a complete beginner? Try Wondershare Filmora 9. It’s one of the best video slideshow makers for newbies. You can quickly get started with a step-by-step slideshow wizard. Filmora also offers lots of ready-made templates, effects, transitions and animations essential for creating a miraculous video. There is a built-in audio library as well, though it’s not large: only 75+ music tracks. Another pinch of salt: Filmora can take quite a while to render the final video.
Final verdict: ......................................9.5
Want to make a slideshow of pictures with music online? Try Renderforest. It offers hundreds of templates for almost any topic: business, wedding, etc. Once you add pictures, choose a score from 120+ built-in music tracks. There is a convenient voice recorder for inserting comments into your video. However, the quick workflow has a dark side: you have to stick to the resources of the project you picked. Plus, you need a stable Internet connection.
Final verdict: ......................................9.3
If you are experienced in video editing, check out MAGIX Photostory. It’s a powerful slideshow maker packed with ready-made templates, animations, effects and transitions. It allows you to create picture collages, custom animations, effects and animated travel routes along the world map. Although the sound library is rather modest (only 50 music tracks), you can add your own music. One of the main drawbacks: extremely complex UI.
Final verdict: .....................................9.2
Need to make a cartoon-styled slideshow? Then Animaker is worth checking out. This web-based application offers five basic presets you can use to create different videos. There are lots of pre-made characters, objects, effects and animations. Although the service looks stylish, it’s clearly not the best slideshow maker software, since it’s based on obsolete Flash technology and therefore is not very stable.
Final verdict: ....................................8.8
Using iOS or Mac? Take a look at iMovie. It’s a simple video editor that lets you mix photos & clips, perform basic actions like cutting videos and applying effects. There is a built-in music collection with 80 songs of different genres. However, you can’t really call iMovie the best slide show maker, since it lacks some features essential for making an awesome video. For example, there is no animation customization or precise sound adjustment.
Final verdict: ......................................8.7
Looking for an online service to make a photo slideshow with music? Kizoa might be a good choice. The website doesn’t require registration. You instantly get access to 70+ ready-made templates on popular themes: business, wedding, greeting cards, etc. Once you select a template, you can apply various effects, animations and transitions. If you want to create longer videos and use more features, you have to get an expensive subscription, though.
Final verdict: .....................................8.5
Movavi Slideshow Maker is one of the best slideshow creators for beginners. The program is extremely easy to use and offers walkthrough tutorials for most of the features. There is a convenient slideshow wizard with built-in templates, effects and music collection. The software also supports green screen videos and footages. When you finish creating your slideshow, you can export it to AVI, MP4, MOV or share it on social media.
Final verdict: .....................................8.3
Picovico is tied for the 9th place in our list of the best programs for slideshows. On the one hand, this easy-to-use software has all the necessary tools to help you create a cool video. To start off with the right mood, you can pick from a number of styles and templates. In addition, you can import pictures and videos from Facebook and Google Photos. On the other hand, the trial version is limited, for example, there are no animations or transitions.
Final verdict: .....................................8.0
PhotoStage Slideshow is a very easy-to-use program that is free for personal projects. Its toolkit is basic but PhotoStage offers all the essential features: pre-made templates, a few animations and transitions. It has no music library, but you can upload your own songs instead. However, the advanced users will hardly call PhotoStage the best program for photo slideshow, since it doesn’t allow to tweak animations, create 3D effects or work with layers.
Final verdict: .....................................7.7
Need a simple tool for making slideshows on Windows 10? Then check out Photo Slideshow with Music. Maybe it’s not the best Windows slideshow maker since the toolkit is rather modest, but the program is completely free to use. It has a built-in music collection (30 songs), a set of transitions, stickers, filters and picture frames. You can add simple captions and change the slide duration - but that’s all. You can get the app in Microsoft Store and Google Play.
Final verdict: .....................................7.5
iSkysoft Slideshow Maker is a good choice for amateurs. It offers a special mode where you can just drop your pictures and clips, and the software will create a slideshow for you automatically. You can add captions and create title slides, however, the choice is rather limited. Some effects and transitions look a bit outdated. Overall, this is not the best picture slideshow maker since you can’t edit effects, create custom animations or use a music library.
Final verdict: .....................................7.3
Looking for an affordable online service to create a slideshow with music? If Kizoa is too expensive for you, check out Smilebox. This website offers lots of templates for almost any occasion: wedding, business, etc. Once you pick a project, you can customize it: add music, apply filters, insert captions, etc. However, the options are limited and you have to stick to the style of the project you picked. Moreover, you can’t do much without a subscription.
Final verdict: .....................................7.0
Looking for the best program for a picture slideshow in FullHD? Try 4K Slideshow Maker. It’s completely free to use and has a few cool features. For example, the program offers an advanced face-recognition technology that helps to adjust zoom-in effects. Next, you can create slideshows in FullHD and Ultra 4K HD. Then you can share them on YouTube or Facebook. However, there is no music library so you will have to upload tracks from your computer.
Final verdict: .....................................6.8
If you need to make a bunch of basic slideshows, then Icecream Slideshow Maker is what you need. Just drop in your photos, apply transitions, add music and you’re all set. You can share the result on YouTube or upload it to Google Drive & Dropbox. As for the video export, there are only 4 options available: MP4, AVI, MOV, and WEBM. Apart from adding music or changing transitions, there is not much you can do - the toolkit is rather limited.
Pros:
Pretty user-friendly
Export 4K videos
Cons:
Number of photos is limited in trial
No ready-made templates
No built-in soundtracks
Limited export options (4 video formats)
What is the Best Slideshow Maker for Windows?
As you can see, there are many programs for different types of users, devices and wallets. Finding the golden middle - the best photo slideshow maker - is a hard task.
If you are a complete beginner in slideshow making, try Filmora or Movavi Slideshow Maker. They don’t have a powerful toolkit but are very easy to use. Don’t want to install anything on your PC? Open your browser and sign up for Kizoa or Smilebox - they require only an Internet connection.
Need more features to work with music in various aspects? Then check out SmartSHOW 3D. This software has a perfect balance among ease of use, extensive toolkit and affordable price. It offers you a plethora of ready-made templates and music for every kind of slideshow. The templates already have suitable songs and effects so you don’t have to add these things manually.
In case you are looking for a tool to create more formal slideshows for business or education, have a look at the best presentation software we've handpicked for you. You are sure to find a program that would become a reliable asset.
But anyway, now that you have a perfect slideshow making tool at hand, it’s high time to prepare photos with your favorite music and create a stunning video yourself!
